United Nations human rights experts on Friday, 4 September expressed grave concern over the alleged enforced disappearance, torture, and extrajudicial killing of Baloch civilian Imran Ali by Pakistani security forces in Balochistan, calling on Islamabad to launch a prompt, thorough, and impartial investigation into the circumstances of his detention and death. The statement was issued from Geneva.

What Happened to Imran Ali

According to the UN experts, on 27 August 2025, Ali was abducted from his home by approximately 20 agents from Pakistan's Counter-Terrorism Department and taken to an undisclosed location. His family received no official information about his fate or whereabouts for nearly one year. Individuals who had been detained alongside Ali confirmed after their release that he had been held in custody and was reportedly tortured for several days.

During a hearing before Pakistan's Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances last month, a police officer stated that Ali had been killed in an alleged encounter in May 2026. Authorities said it took approximately one month to identify his body, and claimed they were unable to preserve his remains — subsequently burying him in June 2026 without notifying his family.

Concerns Over Undocumented Bodies

The experts noted that Ali's body was reportedly brought to a hospital alongside six other bodies, none of which were documented or reported by hospital staff or police. All were buried without proper identification or family notification. 'Given the pattern of enforced disappearances in Balochistan, there are serious concerns that the other bodies may also belong to victims of enforced disappearances,' the experts stated.

What the UN Experts Said

The experts invoked international law in their assessment, stating: 'Any deprivation of liberty followed by the authorities' refusal to acknowledge the detention or by the concealment of the fate or whereabouts of that person is an enforced disappearance, and it places victims outside the protection of the law, in violation of a peremptory norm of international law.'

They called for the investigation to include independent forensic examinations, proper identification of Ali's body, its dignified return to his family, and accountability for those responsible.

A Pattern of Violations, Experts Warn

The UN experts warned that Ali's case is not isolated but reflects what they described as a 'widespread and escalating practice' of unlawful detention — including under 'vague and overbroad counter-terrorism provisions' — alongside torture, enforced disappearance, and extrajudicial killing targeting Baloch people. These violations, they said, follow reports of intensified Pakistani military and security operations in Balochistan, amid widespread allegations of 'collective punishment' by Pakistani authorities. This is not the first time the UN has raised alarms over enforced disappearances in the region; rights groups have documented hundreds of such cases over the past two decades.

What Comes Next

Islamabad has not yet issued a formal response to the UN experts' statement. The experts' call for an independent investigation puts fresh international pressure on Pakistan at a time when its human rights record in Balochistan faces growing scrutiny from global bodies and civil society organisations alike.